Curtis Lofton Scouting Report

Curtis Lofton, ILB, Oklahoma

Lofton was rated one of the top prospects in Oklahoma and one of the country's top linebackers coming out of high school. A breakout 2007 season has made him one of the top linebackers on the NFL draft board just a few short years later. In his freshman season Lofton played in ten games, but didn't get a chance to make very many plays only recorded three tackles (one of which was for a loss). His playing time picked up in his sophomore season in 2006 and he cracked the starting lineup in five of the Sooners' 14 games. He flashed some of that promise by making 32 tackles (six for loss) and recovering one fumble. In 14 games, Lofton made 157 tackles (94 solo, 63 assists), 10.5 TFL, one sack, four forced fumbles, and three interceptions. He also scored two defensive touchdowns (one on an interception return and one on a fumble return). Lofton had at least five tackles in every game and recorded totals of 15 (vs. West Virginia), 16 (vs. Colorado), and 18 (vs. Missouri) on the way to setting a school-record with nine double-digit tackle outings. As a result of his excellent year, he was named the AP's Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. Lofton isn't all that big height-wise and he's not a burner but: a) he's very strong - according to his bio on Oklahoma's official site, he benched 380 pounds and b) his numbers say it all - he gets the job done, time and again. He currently projects as a second-round pick and could be one of the first few picks of the second round. Update (2/28/08): At the combine in Indianapolis, Lofton ran a 4.77 in the 40, which wasn't particularly impressive; but on the other hand, he had 23 reps in the bench press. He could have potentially worked himself into the first round with a great combine and he could still wind up in the first, but he didn't hurt his draft status either and shouldn't last past the second round. Update (3/14/08): After timing in the 4.7s in the 40-yard dash at last month's combine, Lofton greatly redeemed himself at Oklahoma's Pro Day on Tuesday by running times of 4.63 and 4.67 seconds. He improved across the board, bettering his vertical (24 to 32), broad jump (8 feet, 9 inches to 9 feet, 4 inches), 20-yard shuttle (4.56 to 4.54 seconds), and 3-cone drill (7.69 to 7.52 seconds). Lofton looks like a solid bet to go somewhere in the second round; whether he goes early or late in the second will depend on how many teams decide to swoop for a linebacker then or if a few wait for some of the highly-rated 'backers to drop into the third.